Trippable plural interlock car coupling



A915129 1941- c. GILBERT Erm. 2,240,137

'rRIPrABLE' PLURAL 4nmnnocx CAR courus@ l nua Nev. 7,1958 2 sheets-sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 29, 1941 'imprenta PLURAL INTERLooK CAR.

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Alfred C. Gilbert and Marshall H. Frisbie,V Hamden, Conn., assignors to The A. C. Gilbert Company, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Maryland Application November 7, 1938,' Serial No. 239,254

18 Claims.

This invention relates to automatically interlocking couplings, particularly for toy railway cars, and to apparatus for automatically uncoupling selective pairs of cars as they pass a given place or station along the track. One object of the invention is to equip toy cars with couplers which will permit the coupled ends of adjacent cars to ride in close proximity as is desirable in model forms of stream line trains.

Another object is to provide a compound coupling of this nature in which plural couplers or draw hooks are employed in the same coupling mechanism and are free from cramping during their simultaneous coupling and uncoupling actions and also when one car is towing another car along curved as well as along straight stretches of track.

Another object is to provide coupling devices at each end of each car made of like parts and capable of mutually coacting in universal manner so that either end of any car may thereby be coupled to either end of any other car or to a toy locomotive or other rolling stock of a toy train.

A further object is to avoid the use of springs in couplings having the above characteristics preferably by providing two weighted draw hooks so arranged that both have to be lifted to eifect uncoupling.

A further object is to provide a coupling in which draft engagement may be had simultaneously between plural catch studs and plural couplers or draw hooks at spaced points in a common coupling mechanism and in a manner to insure dependable interlocking action and avoid tendencies to accidental uncoupling.

Avstill further object is to provide tripping means stationed along the track which may selectively be conditioned to cause uncoupling of adjacent cars by simultaneously lifting a plurality of couplers or draw hooks as they pass the uncoupling station.

' The foregoing and other objects of the present improvements include the general aim of simplifying the parts as heretofore constructed and ar` ranged in toy couplers, and these objects will appear in greater detail in the following description of illustrative embodiments of the invention, in which description reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing partially in central vertical section the ends of adjacent cars carried on track-guided wheel l trucks and connected together by coupling devices embodying the present improvements.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the draw bar and compound coupler structures related as when the cars are coupled together on a curved stretch of track.

Fig. 3 is a rspective View of one of the draw bars carrying one of the catch studs of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the other draw bar carrying the other catch stud of Fig. 2.

Fig, 5 shows the structure of Fig. 3 assembled with its hook-like coupler or draw hook.

Fig. 6 shows the structure of Fig. 4 assembled with-its hook-like coupler or draw hook.

Fig. '7 shows on an enlarged scale the coupling of Fig. l together with a portion of the track and tripping devices that may be associated therewith for operating the coupling to disconnect the cars of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a plan view taken in section `on the plane 8 8 in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a view taken in central vertical section on the plane 9-9 in Fig. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The iioors Ii) and II of adjacent car bodies are carried on their respective trucks I2 and I3 and swingably connected thereto by the vertical king bolt or pivot pin I4 which penetrates the circular table I5 or I5' of each truck and also the car floor, and whose head end and riveted over end give only suicient axial room to permit free relative swinging between the truck and the car body. Y V

Each truck table has secured against its under surface by the head of pin I4 a draw bar which is designated as a whole by I6 on the car at the left of Fig. l and which is designated as a whole by I6 on the adjacent car at the right thereof. Associated parts of the coupling are correspondingly designated by numerals unprimed and primed accordingly as they are carried by the draw bar I5 on car I0 or by draw bar I6' on car II.

Each draw bar comprises a horizontally disposed iiat strip of metal as best shown in Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, in which the portions I'I or I'I between the bends therein produce an offset so that the free end I8 or" I8 of the draw bar is disposed at a lower level beneath the car floor than is the mounted end I 9 or I 9. This mounted end has the hole 20 or 20 fitting the pivot pin I4 or I4', and also the slot 2| or 2| which is snugly engaged by a tongue 22 or 22 bent down from the metal of the truck table I5 The free end portion I8 or I8 of the draw bar ,y

is reduced to less width than the mounted portion and is provided with the downwardly bent terminal lug 23 or 23 which carries a horizontallyV extending pivot and catch stud 24 or 24' having the head 25 or 25 and whose shoulder 26 or 2S of large diameter turnably its and occupies a hole in lug 23 and whose shoulder 2'!` or 2l of smaller diameter snugly ts a hole in the hook-like coupler 28 or 28 and is peaned over thereagainst" at 29 or 28 to make the coupler rigid with its pivot stud. rihe latter remains free to turn in the draw bar lug 23 because its shoulder 2S is longer than the thickness of the metal of the lug 24.

The coupler or draw hook 28 is thereby pivotally H mounted on the draw bar in a manner to swing freely in relation thereto within certain up and down limits. The up limit of swing of the coupler is determined by the engagement of its shoulder 3B or 38 with the shoulder 3l or 3|' on the draw bar. The down limit of swing of the coupler 28 or 28 is determined by the engagement of the extremity of its tail end 32 with the under surface of the free end portion I8 of the draw bar. Thus the hook head 33 or 33 of each coupler may swing from its full line position to its broken line position in Fig. 1. This hook head of each coupler contains a notch 34 or 34 whose width is considerably greater than the further reduced diameter of the catch stud 24 or 24' in its elongated portion 35 or 35.

Between its tail end 32 and hook shaped head portion 33, the coupler comprises a plate-like body portion 38 4or 3S' of enlarged area for weighting each coupler and giving the hook head thereof a dependable tendency to drop and assume its normal or full line position in all figures of the drawings. At the bottom edge of each coupler body the Vcurved flange 31 or 31' is rigidly carried and projects in the opposite direction from that in which catch stud 24 is elongated at its free end. As shown in Figs. l and '7, flanges 3l and 31 may be side by side in line with each other lengthwise of the train when the hook heads 33, 33 are pulling respectively on their catch studs 24, 24 as one car tows another along the track.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show apparatus with which the track may be equipped at any station for simultaneously lifting both couplers 28 and 28 and automatically disconnecting them respectively from catch studs 24 and 24 as the cars l) and Il pass this station on the track. Such apparatus may consist in a rod 4D having bearing in the sheet metal web of each of the track rails 4I` and spanning the space therebetween. Pinched up ears 42 provide the axial thrust constraint and one end 43 of rod 40 is bent at right angles to serve as a handle for turning the rod. Fixedly carried by rod 48 between the track rails are spaced cams 44 and 45, positioned respectively below the' paths of travel of coupler fianges 31 and 3,7 so that when turned to their full line positions in Fig. 7 they occupy said paths of travel. A leaf spring 45, one end of which is secured by rivets 4l' to the track supporting sleeper 48 bears at its free end on a square detent block 49 which is fixed onrod 4B outside the track rail and in a manner operatively to detain rod 48, its handle 4t, and cams 44, 45 either in their full line positions or broken line positions in Fig. 7 while yielding to permit manual shifting of these parts between their said positions as desired.

In operation the draw bars i8 and I6 extend parallel with the track rails 4l when the trucks l2 and i3 are on a straight stretch of track, but when rounding -a curved portion of track the trucks assume relative positions which may bring vthe draw bars into their relationship shown in Fig. 2. `Accordingly the catch studs 24 and 24 will depart from parallel relationship and this is permitted because of the play or lost motion permitted to the catch studs lengthwise of the notches 34' and 34 with which the studs cooperate to enable both hooks 33 and 33 to act as draft members. When the cars are rounding a curve as shown in Fig. 2 the hook head 33 and the catch stud 24 will alone act as the impelling elements of the coupling because the hook head 33 and the catch stud 24 are then so positioned that the catch stud yis spaced from the pulling edge of its hook head. This has the advantage of causing the coupling to drag one car after the other by means of a pull which is exerted upon the truck at a point of application and in a direction tending to swerve the truck in the direction it should swing to follow the curvature of the track and thereby reduces the tendency of trucks to jump the track when one car is pulling another around va curve at high speed.

For manual uncoupling, the body portions 36 and 3S or the flanges 3T and 31 may easily be reached by the fingers and simultaneously manipulated to lift the couplers 28 and 28 to their respective broken line positions in Fig. 1. In the automatic uncoupling, making use of the tripping apparatus of Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the handle 43 is swung to its full line position in Fig. 'I which swings the trip cams 44 and 45 into their upright full line positions in Figs. '7 and 9. In Fig. 7 the couplers 28 and 28 are riding toward the right carried by draw bars extending from the car trucks as indicated in Fig. 1. The hook head 33 of coupler 28 and the tail 32 of coupler 28' first pass over the tripping station after which the coupler flanges 3l and 3l' ride into contact respectively with trip cams 45 and 44 which cause both couplers to be lifted simultaneously so that the coupler heads 33 and 33 release the catch studs 35' and 35 respectively. In other words, by passing over these trip cams the couplers are swung upwardly to theirf broken line position in Fig. l thereby automatically todisconnect the cars it! and `l i. The width of flanges 31 and 3l makes uns action possible whether the tripping station at which rod 48 is mounted in the rails is on a curved stretch of track causing the-flanges to be related as in Fig. 2 or is on a straight stretch of track with the anges related as in. Fig. 8. The constraining eiect of spring 46 in bearing downwardly upon the detent block 49 holds the tripping cams 44 and 45 upright and undisturbed by the lforce of iianges 3l' and S'rubbing against them. Y A

Upon the approach of two cars whose trucks are equipped with the coupling devices heretofore described, the inclined edge 50 Yor 50 of each hook head of each coupler will cam over the catch stud upon which the other coupler is piV-.n

oted and thereby automatically interlock by re- 24diet assuming the coupled positions of parts shown in Fiss.. "1V and 7. t n The novel principles of coupling construction and action underlying these improvements as embodied in the devices herein disclosed are susceptible of embodiment in a variety of different forms all of which are intended to be included within the meaning of the following claims insofar as they fairly fall within the terms in which the invention is dei-ined therein.

We claim: Y

l.v A draft coupling for toy railway cars including track-guided wheel trucks, comprising a coupling support and coupling catch carried by the trucks of each of adjacent cars, and liftable draw couplers; each of said couplers including a tail end portion providing a point of anchorage to the support carried by one car, a hook-Shaped head portion providing'a point of draft engagement with the catch carried by the adjacent car, and a coupler body section intermediate said point of anchorage and said point of engagement, said body sections of the couplers being disposedv in 'side by side alignment crosswise of the track beneath adjacent ends of the coupled cars, and shaped to extend downwardly to a point substantially nearer the track level than does the tail end portion and hook-shaped portion of either coupler.

2. In a coupling for toy railway cars having track-guided wheel trucks, the combination defined in claim 1, together with means stationed at a place between the track rails and projecting into the paths of travel of the said downwardly extending body sections of both of the said liftable draw couplers in a manner simultaneously to force the latter upwardly and out of engagement respectively with the said catches when contiguous ends of adjacent coupled cars pass said place thereby automatically to uncouple said cars.

3. In a coupling for toy railway cars having track-guided wheel trucks, the combination de'- ned in claim l, together with a shaft .extending crosswise the track rails at an uncoupling station, trip cams fixed to said shaft in spaced relation between the track rails and in register respectively with the paths of travel of the said coupler body sections, and means releasably to maintain said shaft and trip cams either in or below the paths of travel of said draw hooks said means being constructed and arranged cooperatively with said shaft and cams to prevent displacement of the latter by the passing of said draw couplers.

4. In a coupling for toy railway cars including track-guided wheel trucks, the combination defined in claim 1 in which the said downwardly extending body portions of the said liftable draw couplers are respectively provided at their lowest points with flanges projecting laterally in opposite directions to assist in automatic uncoupling.

5. In a coupling for toy railway cars including track-guided wheel trucks, the combination of a liftable draw hook carried by the truck of each of adjacent cars and extending toward the other of said cars, and an elongated stud supported at one of its ends and free from support at its opposite end carried by each car in a position extending crosswise of the track, the said draw hook on each of said cars being constructed and arranged to have draft engagement with the stud carried by the adjacent car providing sufficient play to permit sliding of both draw hooks lengthwise of both studs respectively as well as to permit the required degree of angular inclination of both draw hooks relative to both studs respectively to permit the toy cars to round a sharp bend in the track withoutcramping. y

6. In a coupling for toy railway cars, the combination defined in claim 5 in which the said draw hook carried by the truck of each vof the said adjacent cars is xedly mounted on the said stud carried by the same car at a point on said stud remote from its said free and unsupported end thereby to leave available for draft engagement by the other of said draw hooks a considerable length of said stud terminating in its said free end.

-7. In a coupling for toy railway cars, the combination defined in claim 5 in which the said elongated free ended studs carried 'by adjacent cars extend laterally in respectively opposite directions from their said fixedly supported ends so that on a curved stretch of track the draw hook which is nearest to the outer track rail exerts a pulling force upon the said free and unsupported end of the said elongated stud in a direction tending to swerve the adjacent car ends toward a direction of normal straight track alignment.

8. In a coupling for toy railway cars having track-guided wheel trucks, the combination defined in claim 5, in which said liftable draw hooks include side-by-side midsections depending to a relatively low point, together with means stationed at a place between the track rails and projecting into the paths of travel of said midsections of both of said liftable draw hooks in a manner to force the latter simultaneously upward and out of engagement respectively with the said elongated studs when contiguous ends of adjacent coupled cars pass said place thereby automatically to uncouple said cars.

9. In a coupling for toy railway cars having 'track-guided wheel trucks, the combination of a liftable draw hook supported by and connected to swing horizontally in positive unison with the truck of one car, a catch for a like hook carried by and projecting in fixed angular relation to the said truck, a like liftable draw hook supported by and connected to swing horizontally in positive unison with the truck of an adjacent car and having draft engagement with said catch, and a second catch carried by and projecting in fixed angular relation to the truck of the said adjacent car and having draft engagement with the first said draw hook, each of said draw hooks having an enlarged and weighted body section between its mounted end and its catch engaging end, said body sections lying directly side by side and extending past and under the contiguous ends of the adjacent coupled cars and thereat bellied downwardly into proximity to the track at a point free from all underlying structure carried by said truckl or car.

10. In a coupling for toy railway cars including track-guided wheel trucks, the combination of a horizontally disposed catch carried by one of adjacent cars and extending horizontally crosswise the tracks and a liftable draft coupler carried by the other of said cars having a readily liftable hook-like head containing a notch opening downwardly therefrom to receive said catch, said notch being shaped to provide substantially parallel spaced shoulders disposed respectively to enable said head to push and pull on said catch with positive propelling force thereby to serve as buffer limiting the approach of cars to each other as well as serving as draft coupler, the said shoulder which pushes on said catch extending downward farther past the catch when the latter occupies said notch than does the said shoulder which pulls on said catch, thereby to insure that said catch shall not pass the shoulder designed to push thereagainst when the approaching cars arrive at coupling position.

11. In a coupling for toy railway cars, the com- `oination dened in claim in which the `said notch in the head of the draft coupler is suciently wider than the said catch received therein to provide enough play between said catch and coupler head lengthwise of the cars to enable said catch and coupler head to swing horizontally through various angular relations as the cars round curves in the track.

l2. In a coupling for toy railway cars including track-guided wheel trucks, the combination of a liftable draw hook carried by the truck of one of adjacent cars and extending toward the other of said cars, and an elongated stud supported at one end and free of support at the opposite end, carried by the truck of said other car in a manner to extend crosswise of the track, said draw hook being constructed and arranged to have draft engagement with said stud providing suiiicient play to permit sliding of the draw hook lengthwise of the stud as well as the degree of angular inclination of said draw hook relative to said stud required when the toy cars are rounding a sharp bend in the track.

i3. In a coupling for toy railway cars, the cornbination of a wheel truck having a car supporting table, a draw bar comprising a horizontally disposed strip of sheet metal having a mounting end made fast to said table and having a free end projecting horizontally therefrom under the car, said strip having oiset bends positioning its free end lower below the car than its mounted end. a vertically disposed support wall rigid with the free end of said strip, a pivot stud having one end mounted in said wall and projecting horizontally therefrom and having its opposite end free and unobstructed, and a coupler carried on said pivot stud in a manner to be guided by said wall for vertical swinging movement to couple and uncouple adjacent cars.

14. In a coupling for toy railway cars, the combination defined in claim 13, in which the said coupler comprises a vertically aligned plate having a hook shaped head and a tail end, said tail end being shaped and arranged cooperatively with the said free end of the draw bar to limit the said swinging movement of the coupler in both directions.

l5. In a coupling for toy railway cars, the combination defined in claim 13, in which the said coupler comprises a swingable member having a hook shaped head portion and a tail end portion joined by an intermediate body section of substantially greater bulk and weight than either said head or end portion, the said tail end portion of the member being carried on the said pivot stud.

16. In a coupling for toy railway cars, the combination defined in claim 13, in which the said coupler comprises a swingable member having a hook shaped head portion and a tail end portion joined by an intermediate body section, said tail end portion of the plate being carried on the said pivot stud and said body section carrying a flange extending laterally from its lower edge for increasing the weight to and transverse dimension of said body section.

17. In a coupling for toy railway cars, the combination defined in claim 13, in which the said coupler comprises a swingable member having a hook shaped head and a tail end portion, said tail end portion being carried cn the said pivot stud and said hook shaped head containing a notch forming spaced vertical buiIer and draft shoulders, said buffer shoulder being substantially longer and extending substantially lower than said draft shoulder.

18. In a coupling for toy cars, a draw bar supported to travel with the car, a coupler hook, a trunnion stud pivotally mounted in said draw bar and elongated in a direction transverse the car to serve as a catch for a companion coupler hook, the rst said coupler hook being xedly mounted on said trunnion stud and turnable in unison therewith relative to said draw bar.

ALFRED C. GILBERT. MARSHALL H. FRISBIE. 

